


Hidden Blade

by Angelicat2



Series: Whumptober 2020 [8]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Allura (Voltron) is a Good Friend, Amputation, BAMF Allura (Voltron), BAMF Pidge | Katie Holt, Blade of Marmora Keith (Voltron), Electrocution, Fantastic Racism, Flashbacks, Galra Keith (Voltron), Gen, Half-Galra Keith (Voltron), Human Experimentation, Hurt Keith (Voltron), Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Underage, Keith (Voltron) has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Keith (Voltron) was Raised by the Blade of Marmora, Medical Experimentation, Protective Team, Quintessence-Sensitive Keith (Voltron), Red Paladin Keith (Voltron), Scars, Shiro (Voltron) Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Torture, Vivisection, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2020-11-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:28:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27425716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angelicat2/pseuds/Angelicat2
Summary: The Paladins of Voltron go to a new planet's signal. There, they discover a Galra who happens to be a Blade of Marmora member. Turns out, this Blade is half-human, son of co-commander, Krolia.
Relationships: Allura & Kolivan (Voltron), Keith & Krolia (Voltron), Keith & Regris (Voltron), Keith & Shiro (Voltron), Keith & Voltron Paladins, Keith/Shiro (Voltron), Shiro & Voltron Paladins
Series: Whumptober 2020 [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1951774
Comments: 9
Kudos: 235





	Hidden Blade

**Author's Note:**

> This is for Day 31: Experiment. No promises I tagged everything correctly! Enjoy!!

“Thank you, paladins, for coming to our signal.”

“It is our pleasure,” Allura answers diplomatically, smiling at the leader of the Gekapies. These were a bunch of lizard-looking people, in dull tones and large eyes. To Shiro, they looked almost like geckos with a sturdy build, yet still skinny enough, “If I may ask, why did you call? You said that you’ve made a ground-breaking discovery?”

“Yes,” the leader nods, her large eyes blinking strangely, pupils almost square, “We have discovered ways to defeat the Galra.”

“Defeat the Galra?” Pidge tilts her head, curious as ever. Shiro’s own curiosity picks up too, “How?”

“That we will show you, young paladin,” the leader speaks as she begins walking down a hall. They all exchange glances before strolling after her. She leads them down a few halls before they come across a panel. Behind it rests a cell of some sort, looking bland. As Shiro steps forward, he sees that a Galra sits inside, back straight and unrestrained. The other doesn’t seem like he knows they are there.

“How?” Shiro asks in shock, eyes widening, “How did you find a Galra?”

“More than one,” the woman smiles at him, the gesture somewhat creepy to him, “We captured a whole ship of them. We’ve found out their greatest weaknesses through that. Now...they are tamed. If not, they will be neutralized.”

Said Galra blinks before stretching one leg out a bit. A second later, he gets up before going to the bed next to the cell wall, going to sleep peacefully.

“We’ve been studying them,” the woman shrugs as she leads them onward, “To see how they react. How they tick. All of that.”

The next area they come up to shows a cell that changes its environment, though not as well as the holographic room does in the Castle. Inside is a Galra who climbs up a hill, breathing heavily after having sprinted. As soon as they get to the top, they collapse, probably exhausted.

“Seeing what they can endure,” the leader explains as the room flashes back to blankness, “They are more willing to show their real talents if they believe what they are doing is real.”

She turns away, leading them down another hall. Something doesn’t sit right with Shiro as they turn around another corner where two other Gekapies wait for them. They stand impassively, faces seriously blank in a way that makes Shiro shiver slightly. As much as he hates to think about it, he’s had Galra guards who’ve shown more emotion than that...

“He is the last Galra on that ship to not submit to us, and he intrigues us,” the woman lists off, pointing to a Galra resting to the side in his own cell. The whole thing is clear, unlike those they have seen before, with quite a bit more space inside as if to make sure he can’t rush out too quickly. The way that the other is lying down, they only see his back. He’s dressed in black pants of some sort, smooth skin from waist up exposed. His lithe arms are cuffed behind his back with thick black metal that’s chained together. His fists are clenched, sharp claws biting into skin, drawing purple-pink blood that slides along a palm to the floor. Purple crawls up those hands until it levels out to a pale white color that Shiro has seen among the Galra. Heck, Ulaz had lots of white skin, so he’s not surprised. The darker color curves up the other’s spine, like a swirl of stardust in space, and the white goes purple again at his shoulders, joining with the purple spine. There’s longer black hair along the Galra’s neck, sharp ears poking out of it much like a wild cat's. Each ear is a dark purple that fades to pink, and Shiro can see one twitching every direction subtly, probably wanting to hear what's going on. Or it may be instinctual, following their sounds.

There’s no bed inside the cell, and no accommodations like a toilet or small sink, unlike what had been included in the other cells. This cell is dark red, with a round circle of scarlet-yellow light. As they walk closer inside, they see that there are actually two areas, one of which the Galra can’t get into, almost like a thin shield.

Shiro stares down at the cuffs. Around the edges lie strange pinkish scars in violet flesh, as though lightning had danced under his skin. It put Shiro on edge, breath getting heavier. He doesn't like it. He doesn’t like any of this. This whole place...

"Hmmm…" The leader frowns thoughtfully, her eyes staring at the prisoner who continues to twitch his ears. He never turns to look their way, but he knows they are there, if the tightening hands were anything to go by, "I know you're awake, Galra. No use pretending."

The Galra makes a tiny sound, like a scoff before one ear shifts more. The other doesn't move though, and he makes no attempt to get up.

"We have some guests visiting," the woman slams her hand against the wall. The Galra's ears seal tight to his head, in fright or pain, Shiro's not sure, "And you best well respect them, although you likely won't, being Galra scum and all."

The Galra huffs quietly before he stays in place.

"Giving me the silent treatment, I see," she glares at him, stepping up to his back. She glides through the barrier as though it is nothing. A second later, she grabs onto his shoulder, pulling him up before slamming him onto his knees roughly. The Galra sits there, feet out to the sides in an uncomfortable way. His hair falls in his face as he slumps a bit, hands tight behind his back still, "You're always eager to say something to me before. Where's your 'We're on the same side' and 'not all of us are evil' speeches? Hmmm? Did the big bad Paladins of Voltron get your tongue?"

The Galra goes stiff as soon as their title is pronounced. At first, Shiro thinks it's fear radiating from the alien before them, but he soon realizes that it's recognition. But that makes no sense. Many people knew little about Voltron, since it had been a legend. Not even the Galra had known, not really. They had thought it to be children's stories. Shiro remembers some guards talking about it outside his cell.

The fabled myths of Voltron.

"So you do know of Voltron," the leader grins wickedly before she brings a hand to the other's ear, which twitches out of her hold, "You are a shitty liar. For a Galra soldier, you're giving it all away."

"I'm not a Galra soldier," the Galra snaps, jutting out his pale jaw, mouth twisting, "I've been telling you for a while. I don't work for the Empire."

"Oh sweet Kitten," the woman sighs softly before she latches onto an ear, gripping it tightly before snagging it sharply with her fingers. The other lets out a tiny whimper of pain as he flinches deeply, "All you scum bags work for the Empire. I don't give one ass about whether you're a half-breed or not. You all bleed the same, all disgusting blood-thirsty pigs. If I remember correctly, you took out a whole team of bad guys by yourself in the simulator."

The other snarls a bit before settling down. Something about this bothers Shiro, and he shares a glance with the three youngest who glance back at him, equally hesitant and anxious. This was more than gathering and studying.

"Luckily, you've provided us with information you cannot hide," the leader shrugs, "Your biology tells us what you won't. You're unique, aren't you?"

The Galra huffs again before staying silent.

"You're not like those other Galra, are you?" The woman tsks sadly, playing with the other's ear some, large eyes narrowed, "You're built differently. So small but strong. Took five of my rebels to hold you down, didn't it? You lasted longer than the others before the sedative took you down. You even took a piece out of one of them. Poor man's missing his eye. But we got you back, didn't we? It was interesting, exploring what your body has to offer."

The Galra shivers at that, long furry ears shifting completely down into his hair. Shiro's beginning to feel detached from this whole situation. It's...familiar and he doesn't...doesn't like...where this is going…that's what the scars on his chest are about. Vivisection scars in the pattern of a Y...

"Your voice box is strange," the woman goes on, playing with his jaw now. One clawed thumb finds the other's throat, tracing over clean scars - more vivisection scars. Shiro stares at the dark pink line that dips down to his collarbone and back up. That bothers him too, as though the skin had been peeled back so they could see his voice box, "Able to change air flow at a whim so you can growl, purr, and do other things. This is how you speak so gutturally, right? How you speak such a savage language as Galran?"

The Galra huffs before saying something under his breath. 

"What was that?" The woman narrows her eyes more, stepping closer.

The smaller repeats it, quieter this time, so the alien hisses in frustration before she latches onto his ear, twisting it. The other lets out a tiny whimper before muttering again. The woman seems to get angry before she lets out a deep breath.

"Why were you on that ship?" She asks instead.

"I told you already," the smaller snaps with sharp teeth, switching to a language they could understand, "I was on a mission. I was following some type of energy but I got caught before I could get to it!"

Shiro's eyes widen. He shares a glance with the others, at which even the princess looks back in shock. The Red Lion. He had to be sensing the Red Lion. It was the only thing that could do that, at least, of what Shiro knows of. It had been the only lion on a ship out here besides Black and no one was out there on Arus, much less the Galra.

"Keep using that lie," the woman laughs darkly before she grips black hair tightly, "There was nothing aboard that ship besides useless gunk and about a dozen worthless scumbags like you."

"Got taken to a different ship," the other glares, though Shiro can't see his eyes, "But you already know that."

"I do," she nods before she places her hand over a thin shoulder, fingers digging into tender skin. The Galra flinches deeply, "We attacked to catch you scumbags, to study you. You may have been dressed in prisoner rags, but you are no ordinary prisoner. Who are you?"

The Galra mutters again, voice more hiss and growl than anything else. It reminds Shiro of the Galra in the pits, shouting in those same voices. His breath catches as he listens on.

"Poor kitten," the woman shakes her head, "You know to answer us in the appropriate way. Galran is useless here."

The Galra says something else, louder this time. The leader's smile drops before a snap rings through the room. All of them flinch as the woman's fist backhands the Galra, making his head twist to the side. He must bite his lip, since a tiny trail of pink-purple blood dips down his pale chin. The Galra growls lowly, repeating the phrase.

"Don't force my hand," the woman smirks, "I don't want to damage you more than what's already been done, but I will. We're all eager to see someone pay for you scumbags."

And then she presses her fingers right onto the Galra's neck, to the side of what should be his larynx. As soon as she puts pressure on the slightly darker spot, the Galra stiffens up. A small whine leaves his mouth as he tries to move away, failing. 

"You don't like it when I put pressure here, do you?" The woman asks as she laughs, claws digging in, "It's one of your glands. It's sensitive, linked to your reproductive system. Much like an erogenous zone, but more intense. Too much pressure hurts, doesn't it? Makes it feel like fire coursing through your blood, huh? You’re even more sensitive than the others."

She pauses before digging into it deeper. The smaller lets out a cry, toppling to the floor in a heap. His hands claw at his pants uselessly. He rests on his side, leg twitching a bit as he tries to breathe through the pain. It only lasts for a few seconds, but Shiro feels like he's being hurt too. It feels like forever.

And then she's releasing the spot, gently rubbing her thumb over the area. The other lets out a small sigh of relief as he relaxes before one ear folds forward. Suddenly, he leans into the touch more, as if unconsciously unable to control it.

"Hah," the woman rubs the spot more, which has the Galra letting out a...purr, seemingly in a daze. He doesn’t seem in agony anymore, "The perfect way to control you. It feels good, huh?"

The Galra huffs quietly before his ear dips to brush her hand. Clumpy fur rests against scaly skin, almost like a dog wanting a belly rub. The leader continues with the petting, getting a deeper breathy purr as she goes in a circle, claw gently moving against the gland.

"So easy to get you melted into a puddle thanks to your Galra instincts. None of the others quite did so," she goes on, "It's rather interesting. We've known that the Galra are sexually active, and they grow into these desires at a young age. But you become so docile at touch. Are you hungry for skin contact, kitten? Does an intersex Galra like you need more touch?"

A slight change in his purr is the only indication he's heard anything. Shiro feels sick at the sight as her hand curves down to his chin.

"You're so dazed that you don't even notice the thing I have. You are so very attached to it," the woman pulls out a knife. As soon as Shiro sees it, he nearly chokes. It's a Blade. What is a Blade of Marmora doing out here? He knows that symbol from anywhere. Ulaz saved him with the same type of blade, though this one looks different from all the rest. He quickly looks at the others who also have wide eyes. His story makes sense now, if he is a Blade, "You want it every time I bring it near. Probably so you can escape, right? So you can thrust this into my throat and run away in the chaos."

She continues to massage at the Galra's neck, getting a small twitch from the other. This continues for a moment before the smaller whines softly, it turning into a soft moan as his mouth opens slightly, showing small fangs.

"Easy to keep you from fighting, once we figured it out," she grins before glancing at them, continuing her actions on the Galra, "Being intersex must play into why he goes so pliant. He has both systems that we know of, twice as easily enthralled by a touch like this than those of the others. This is how we get him under control. Once you get a hand on this spot, he can no longer fight us. It works like a char-"

She suddenly stops, eyes snapping to the Galra with a deadly scowl on her lips. Shiro wonders why she stops until he sees it. The smaller makes a strange noise before he grinds against the alien's foot, or at least, attempts to. The woman gets even more pissed, her foot moving back before she kicks the Galra right in the stomach. He cries out in pain as he slides back into the wall, curling up into a ball with his legs up to his chest, a small whimper leaving him.

"You little bastard," the alien hisses as she steps closer to the younger, "Trying to get pleasure from this. I made it clear that you must be trained out of that. Only good people can have those wants, isn't that right?"

With that, she kicks him again. Her foot connects right with his chest, making the other cry out. Both ears go back before he pants, seemingly coming back to the real world. The woman goes to launch another kick when the Galra growls, hair moving out of his eyes. Golden sclera glare at the woman, eyes small slits as he dives forward. Sharp fangs bite into thick flesh with a solid crunch as the woman screams in pain. She tries to throw him off, but the Galra snarls before biting down even harder. A snap is heard, likely a bone breaking in the woman's leg.

"You fucking worthless beast," the woman hisses as she grabs his jaw. A second later, she twists her fingers right into those glands from earlier, getting both before squeezing as hard as she can. The smaller goes stiff as a board, legs going back into a straight line. He grips the leg with his teeth, not giving up for a long time before he finally releases his hold, choking on his breath. The leader only presses harder, getting a small cough from the other. Shiro feels sick to his stomach at the sight.

"Activate the cuffs, level five."

She lets go of the Galra who gasps as he tries to breathe. A second later, a strange noise is heard before he yelps. He goes stiff again, in a different way this time. He slips over onto his side more, a bead of blood flowing down his chin.

"You little bitch," the woman snarls, clenching her leg, orange blood slipping down to the floor, "You broke my foot! Up it to level 8."

“But that’s higher than-” One starts.

“Do it!”

The noise gets higher-pitched, the other crying out louder. A second later, he twitches with an open mouth. His chest puffs wildly as he attempts to breathe. His back arches at an impossible angle as one leg kicks back into the wall. Feral eyes stare around with a scared gleam as he flinches.

He's being electrocuted. 

Shiro spirals, suddenly on his knees. It's dark, as it is on all the Galra ships.

_"You have disobeyed, Champion!"_ A voice echoes around him as he hunches up. His hands are cuffed behind him as a guard stands by his side, to ensure he doesn't get away. It's ridiculous. He can't run anywhere, not with the open wounds still bleeding on his chest and legs. God, he's a little dizzy now. The match had been...been too much this time, _"You will learn your place, as a gladiator. Remember this moment, Champion."_

And then pain washes over him. He glances to the side to see the Galra standing there, some type of electrical prod pressing into his neck. Another zap slams into him as purple slices through his left eye's vision. He yelps, the pain growing as the monster presses it harder into the unforgiving flesh between his shoulder and neck. Every wave hurts more than before until he's arching on the floor, past wounds forgotten and only able to focus on the burning sensation of electricity filling his body.

It hurts. It hurts. Make it stop. Stop...stop hurting him. Stop! He'll be good. He's...He's going to do better in the next match. He'll...He'll kill his opponent this time. Anything to stop the pain. Anything to...ow...make...it stop…stop...he's going to die...he can't...he's not breathing...ahhh...

"Hey!" Pidge shouts, her hand filled with her activated bayard. Shiro forces himself to pay attention to her and not his past. She's...she's got tears in her large eyes. She's aiming the emerald blade at the leader. The tug of her lips is...angry, "Stop! You're killing him!"

Shiro blinks, wondering who she's talking about when he sees it. It's the Galra. Oh yeah...the other looks...yikes. He's paler, ear twitching rapidly as he cries out silently again, mouth wide enough to show off a pink and purple inside, spotty just like on the outside. Those small fangs are bigger now, much more lethal than before. He’s on his back now, somehow having turned in his attack.

Oh, god. The twitching is bad. It's on repeat, affecting his whole body and making it jerk quite a bit. He's still not breathing correctly, and if they let it go on…

Cardiac arrest. Heart attack. Organ failure.

No one deserves this torture, Galra or not. 

Shiro springs up on instinct, like a spring coiled too tightly. He lunges at the leader, not caring about her widening eyes as he puts a glowing fist to her throat, less than an inch away from lethal death. If he moves, the woman dies. He knows it, and she does too, along with everyone in the room.

"Sh-Shiro," Allura says with wide eyes, probably stunned a Paladin of Voltron would do such a thing, "What?"

"Call it off," he growls as he presses closer, "Stop."

"Why should I?" The woman spits out, eyes narrowing, "Why should I let this Galra have peace when none cared for my people? When they slaughtered them without a chance? They're vile beasts who don't deserve anything, not even life."

"Because you're no better than them," Shiro frowns as he clenches his left fist, "If you treat your prisoners like this. I've been in their footsteps. I know what this feels like and trust me, I hate what the Galra did to me. They took my crew, my arm, a year of my life. But this...this is pointless torture. He didn't do anything to you until you pushed him. Sure, the Galra can be evil. But I've done some terrible things too, things I'm not proud of...things that still haunt me. We're all capable of good and bad. Don't let your anger blind you to what we could have. Peace, with all people - including the Galra."

The woman stares for a long moment before she snarls, seemingly ready to strike him. Behind him, Shiro can hear the Galra jerking more, making small pained whines.

"Let go of the shocks," she speaks up, "As much as I hate them, I can't let one Galra be my demise - even if it is at the hands of a supposed _ally_."

She spits the words as though it's acid. Shiro doesn't even flinch. What they're doing is wrong. He won't let it stand. The cuffs noise dies down as he cools his arm, rushing over to the other who lies there on his back still. A few volts flow through his body, making him jerk a bit more. A few seconds later, he calms down, head resting to the side against the cold floor.

He's not breathing. His chest refuses to expand as his eyes grow a bit hazy, now large on gold. Shiro's chest feels as though a shock hits him. Oh no…

"Pidge! He's crashing," Shiro yells at the Green Paladin who quickly brings up the wrist scanner. He turns his attention to the unmoving prisoner, "What do we do? How do we get him to breathe?"

"He's not having heart issues," the youngest frowns before sighing in frustration, "Despite the electricity that ran through him, it's not his heart failing. He could be trapped in a flashback! From what I can see, this has happened, a lot. You don’t get that many lichtenberg scars from one shock."

"I just need to wake him up," Shiro hisses sadly before he takes the other's neck into his hands, feeling a faint heartbeat but no other movement, "This is going to suck."

It does. He presses right over the glands from earlier. At first, there is no reaction, just more staring and haziness. But a second later, the smaller explodes. With a choked yewl, he jerks forward. A moment later, he thrashes upward without using his arms, nearly knocking his head against Shiro's. The Black Paladin holds on tightly, making sure he won't slip away again as the other jerks to the side, attempting to get his feet under him. He struggles for a moment before collapsing forward into Shiro's chest. The older lets his neck go, catching him as he gasps in huge breaths of air. In his haste to make sure the Galra doesn't face plant, his hands accidentally hit a bump on the end of the other's tailbone. Something moves against his hand there, not that long. A moment later, it thrashes around a bit, as if wanting free.

"Give me his knife," he holds out his hand without looking up. Someone silently places it on his palm. He turns it to open up a cut along the fabric, which gives easily. As soon as he does, a tail pops out. It matches the color of his ears, just as furry and ragged, practically bushy. It's easy to see that the tail had been longer at one point, for a heavy layer of scarred flesh rests at the end of it. It reminds Shiro of his own arm, in much the same condition. 

Amputated off. That’s...anger burns in his chest.

_"I don't want to damage you more than what's already been done…”_

That’s what she meant. They hurt him already by cutting his tail off.

The Galra huffs against his chest, nose brushing his neck. A second later, he whines loudly, pulling him out of his thoughts. Shiro frowns in confusion before he suddenly gets it.

The Galra needs comfort. He needs to know he has an ally. That he's safe. And if he relies on touch so much, well...

Shiro gently rests his hand onto the other's cheek, guiding the other's nose to where a gland would be in another Galra. He didn't have one, but maybe the other would recognize the spot and be fooled enough to feel better. The smaller sniffs before purring softly, leaning on him. Shiro just holds him back as the leader glares.

"You can have him," she spits as one of her helpers comes to balance her, "And consider this a broken alliance. We will never join your weak attempt at a coalition."

"And we do not want allies like you," Allura glares back, eyes narrowed with an icy fury, "My Black Paladin is right. You are no better than the Galra."

"You're missing out," the leader growls, "You could end this war now. But you chose to be weak."

"No," Allura frowns, eyes tired but determined, "This is not the way to end the war. As my father, the late King Alfor of Altea, said, 'True strength is not found in beating your enemy into the ground. It is found by lifting you both up, to show that something better can come.'"

"Yeah," Hunk nods along, a thoughtful look on his face, "You can choose to fight fire with fire but you don't have to. That just creates a huge mess that destroys everything."

"And that's why it's gone on so long," Lance crosses his arms, "We can't fight hate with hate. Our home planet, Earth, learned that a lot. If you want to make the world a better place, you have to do it through understanding and kindness."

"Hffft," the woman hisses, "Have your understanding and kindness. It'll do little good against the next Galra who tries to murder you."

"My Black Paladin has every reason to hate the Galra...to despise them, but he doesn't," Allura smiles fondly, eyes soft as she glances at him and back, "I hated them for so long that I let it burn me into ashes. I still don’t like them, but I know that I should take my hatred and aim it at those who have done me wrong like Zarkon. My Black Paladin has taught me so much about accepting others, even though their people have done wrong. His attitude is what has helped me be who I am today, and I will not betray that. You will release these Galra to us and stop your experiments."

"Or what?" The woman snarls.

"Or nothing," Allura clasps her own hands in front of her, "But maybe you'll be haunted by what you've done too. Using this information against the Galra will only make your allies weary of you, that you may turn on them just as easily. It is, after all, how this war started. Sometimes knowledge leads to something worse than death."

"Kn-knowledge or d-death," the Galra mutters to his ear, still too weak as his ears brush Shiro's skin, cool. That’s probably not good, since most Galra ran a lot warmer than humans did, like a mini furnace. Shiro blinks, hands holding onto the smaller even tighter. He has to be a Blade. What infiltrator knew Kolivan's Blade phrase better than a real agent? But…

Shiro gazes at the other who looks...young. He has to be younger than Shiro is, most likely the other paladins' age. Shit, he must be 18 or so. Who...why would the Blade send in a teenager to do a mission? Kolivan may be hard on his Blades, but even Shiro doubts that he would do such a thing. On a Galra ship so close to the home base, of all places...Sendak's ship hardly left that area, from what he remembers in his time as a prisoner. It was just luck that his ship had been the one sent to Arus that fateful day.

Thick black lashes flutter around mauve skin that gently arches down sharp cheekbones as the younger peels his eyes open…

They're...so human. Shiro nearly chokes on his spit as white eyes stare at him. They're...not Galra-looking anymore. The eyes are large now, but no bigger than any human's. The irises are a dark purple hue, like the end of a galaxy, easily mistaken for dark blue or grey at any other distance. The pupils are black as coal, focusing on him slowly as the other pants softly. A tiny whimper leaves him before he drops his head onto Shiro's chest, breaking their eye contact. 

"Does it hurt?" Shiro asks softly.

All he receives is a quiet whine.

"Can I…" He pauses before moving his fingers to the glands again, "Can I rub these? They release a natural painkiller into your system, right? It'll help take away the pain."

The Galra whines with fear in his voice, a slurred string of Galran coming out, which Shiro doesn’t recognize.

“If it’s intimate, I won’t do it,” Shiro frowns, “I just...don’t know how else to help you.”

The other huffs softly before nodding hesitantly. The older man takes his fingers, massaging the spots slowly. He will stop if the other looks remotely ready to get away. Only...the other relaxes against him, a slight purr coming out as he nuzzles further into Shiro’s side, as if burrowing his way into a safe spot. One ear perks up, likely accidentally, covering Shiro’s eyes on accident.

Oh, yeah...he’s too cold for a Galra. Way too cold...

“Let me get that off of you, man,” Lance’s voice interrupts his thoughts. A second later, a low growl echoes through the air as the ear twitches enough for Shiro to see what’s happening with his right eye. The Galra is snarling backwards at Lance as though he may attack him, a leg wrapped around Shiro’s possessively, as though to scare off something coming too close to something that is _his_. 

“It’s okay,” Shiro speaks up, “He’s a friend. He won’t hurt us. Just wants to free your arms.”

The Galra hisses louder before flashing razor-sharp teeth. A moment later, he settles down, turning his head to rest into Shiro’s neck. The older nods silently at the Blue Paladin who quickly unlocks the cuffs. The black metal slips to the floor with a clank before the other quickly latches onto Shiro with his claws digging into his sides.

“It’s okay. It’s okay,” Shiro soothes him down while petting at ebony hair, “We’ll get you healed and some food, okay? And we’ll try to get you home. Sound good?”

“Ho-home,” the younger pants softly before pressing closer, “Home.”

“You ready?” Allura asks them as Shiro glances up at her. He nods as the Galra’s ear twitches back over his left eye. Shiro barely resists a laugh at the feeling as he slowly gets up, gripping the other princess style. He’s careful of the tail that bobs around against his stomach as he moves to go back to the castle. He stays fairly silent on the trip in, only muttering to the Galra in his arms once in a while. It takes quite a few minutes to get out of the cells, the aliens watching them eerily. It takes a bit longer to reach the place Shiro has called home for months now, going down to the infirmary. The Galra is basically asleep in his arms as Coran greets him silently, eyes worried...for the one in his arms.

“Bring him to the pod,” he says softly, to not wake the younger too much. He does so, gently placing the other down to change him into a suit. He clenches his fist as he sees the other’s body, where lines of scars sit from past experiments. He can’t help but wince at the sloppy twin scars lower down, a clear sign of sterilization, likely to both sets of reproductive organs. 

“What did they do to you, buddy?” Shiro frowns deeply before shaking his head, picking the younger up to place into a pod. Just before he gets the other inside, the Galra opens his eyes, watching him softly before his fist grasps his wrist gently. Before his eyes, he sees a tiny grin come to the smaller’s lips before the Galra falls into a deeper sleep. He places him inside the pod carefully before stepping back, looking as the machine starts up.

“He’ll be in there for a good quintant,” Coran gazes at the screen, reading what Shiro can’t understand, “To repair any damaged nerves or muscles that the shocks may have hurt. The poor boy's body temperature is running low and there may be infections that the pod will have to fix. However, sadly, it won’t get rid of the scars, I’m afraid.”

“Yeah,” Shiro nods, staring at where his own arm joins into the mechanical one, to the scars that the pod hadn’t been able to change, to even dent, “I know…”

A long moment of silence echoes around them as Shiro frowns. Only the clicks of the machine makes noises.

“Why?” He asks suddenly out of the blue.

“Hmmm…” Coran glances at him, curious.

“Why are people like this?" Shiro questions quietly, heart beating fast, "Why do people do these...these sick things to others? The gladiator pits, this, the war…"

"I wish I knew, my boy," Coran states softly, his hand coming to rest on Shiro's shoulder, "Like you said, the war. It changes a lot of people, for better or worse. I think the leader wanted to help out in this war. She lost her view of right and wrong a while ago, as have her people. But we cannot expect all others to be good, not when we know that not all Galra are bad, my boy."

"You're right," Shiro nods, sending the older Altean a grin, feeling a little better, "Thanks, Coran."

"No problem, Number One," the other smiles back, "Now I suggest you change into your regular clothes, get a shower, some food, and come back here. I know you'll be watching over his pod."

"I will," he acknowledges with a nod, "I don't want him to wake up to an empty room. Pods...tend to give nightmares."

"Unfortunately," the older frowns before patting his back, turning to exit the room, "Warn me if the pod gives an alert."

"Okay," he nods before gazing at the Galra who looks peaceful. He stands there for a few more minutes before doing exactly what Coran said, coming back to sit down and watch out for the younger.

The others check in with him, even staying for a bit. They chatter softly and before he knows it, the pod is opening, a breezy coldness coming out of the cryopod. Fog collects on the floor as the younger collapses into his arms. He quickly catches him, feeling frosty ears against his neck.

“I got you,” he whispers before helping the Galra into a better position so he can stand on his own, “I got you.”

“Knife,” the younger one demands right away, arms open for the object. Shiro carefully hands the dagger over and he clenches it to his chest, “Home.”

“I’ve asked Kolivan for a transmission,” Allura states from the back of the room, “I wish we could give you some more time to wake from the pod’s effects, but we must get going.”

The Galra nods, gripping Shiro’s jacket and his blade before he takes a step forward, nearly falling again. They quickly change him before Shiro braces him, following the Altean and the others to the bridge.

"Kolivan," Allura frowns up at the screen as Shiro carefully holds onto the Galra by his side. The other is still weak, but able to stand. He seems a bit out of it, leaning against Shiro's shoulder with hazy eyes. The older can certainly empathize with the other, knowing just how much coming out of the cryopod can mess with someone. His hair falls into his face, and Shiro can see his tail resting flat against the curve of his new black pants where he had cut the hole. The Black Paladin glances up, seeing the Blade leader standing there with a stoic expression on his face. Krolia is by his side, looking equally unmoved and irritated. Maybe they had interrupted something important, "Krolia."

Shiro blinks as the Galra beside him twitches. One ear flips against his neck as he shifts upward a bit, as if straightening his back. Shiro secures his hold, putting his hand on the other's upper hip to make sure he doesn't fall over.

"Is everything alright?" Krolia asks carefully with a small frown. Shiro feels the Galra's ear flick again. Claws grip his wrists, as if grounding himself.

"We went to a distress signal in the Salyncal system," Allura marches on, brows down, "And while we were there, we found a suspected Blade of Marmora."

"There has been no missions in the Salyncal system," Kolivan narrows his eyes, arms behind his back, "Not in the past 40 years. And those Blades made it back, all accounted for."

"Well, we have good reason to believe this is a Blade member," the princess speaks with a serious face, "He was found with a Marmora blade. He claims it's his, and refused to let it go when he got his hands on it."

As if to prove her point, the Galra grips the blade harder.

"Can you show us this Blade?" Kolivan frowns as he stares at them, "He could have easily stolen a blade from one of our agents, posing as one of us, though we are hardly known."

"Yes, he's right here," Allura's face softens a bit, "But he's fairly weak. When we found him, he had been captured and tortured for a while. He's still recovering from an electrical shock to the system, and he just got out of a pod."

"Alright, show us," Krolia frowns at them. Shiro feels the other push against his chest, as if trying to get away from him and to the screen. The cut tail brushes against Shiro's hip, wiggling around rapidly. 

"M-mom?" He asks, stumbling forward. Shiro's jaw drops before he barely catches the younger who nearly topples backwards to the floor. Long ears move to the sides as the Galra raises his left hand weakly, "Mom."

"Mom!?!" Lance shouts in surprise in the background, arms waving, "You have a kid? Since when!?!"

"Keith?" The woman stands there, ignoring the Blue Paladin, eyes shocked and wider than Shiro has ever seen them. They're a neon violet with a white shine in the middle, something Shiro had never noticed before in the past month he's known her as her voice goes soft with a trace of disbelief. This melts into relief and happiness as tears race to her eyes, "Keith!"

"Keith!?!" They all shout this time, eyes wide at the human name. How did a Galra name her child an Earth name?

"Mom!" He shouts back, both ears straight up in the air as his tail beats against Shiro's belt, almost like an excited puppy, "Mom!"

"Oh, my starlight," she smiles fondly, "We'll be right there, okay? I'll be to you soon. Ranloc, set a course for the Castle of Lions. It'll take a few vargas."

"I can open a wormhole," Allura says with a serious face, "But I don't want to open it right next to your base."

"Our path doesn't open for another 30 doboshes," a new voice, likely Ranloc, answers back, "My Leaders, you can grab the supplies you need before departing for your kit."

Shiro watches Keith's face as they talk. The longer it goes on, the more the younger droops, as if wondering what could possibly be holding them from coming to him. His tail drops to his butt as his ears press to his neck. A second later, a small whine comes from him. It hurts Shiro’s heart to hear such a sound from the other.

“They’ll be here soon,” Shiro answers softly, pressing his flesh hand over Keith’s right cheek to help him focus. The younger’s eyes snap to him, “How about we get some food for you? I’m sure Hunk would love to make you something delicious and healthy. He makes the best food for guests and us.”

“Oh, man,” Hunk grins from the side, blushing slightly, “Shiro, you’re too kind, man. Of course! I can make anything you want, Keith! But if you say goo, I’m gonna have to say no. Man, you need better food than that.”

“So it’s settled,” Lance smirks from the Yellow Paladin’s other side, “We go get something to eat, ask mullet here some questions, and get to know each other.”

“Uh,” Pidge blinks from their side, “Why would he want to get to know us? He’s new. And why mullet?”

“Because,” Lance scoffs, trying to think of a better reason before sputtering, “Look! Krolia has a kid! Who just happens to have a mullet! None of us knew that. I want to know more about it...him, not the mullet….definitely not the mullet, ew...”

“Space drama,” Coran grins before sparkles - sparkling large honest-to-gods sparkles - appear around his whole face, “Why I remember back in the day how Alfor was the same way! He absolutely loved hearing the latest gossip! Perhaps we all should go down to get some food! I am quite curious myself and our newest friend is clearly famished! Only so much to do in a 10,600 year-old castleship, after all!”

“You okay with that?” Shiro asks, not wanting to make too much of a scene or put too much stress on Keith. Shiro knew how overwhelming it was after a whole year in captivity, much less more, “You don’t have to answer anything. They’re just wild like that.”

“It’s fine,” he answers after a few seconds, voice raspy as ever. The younger seems a tad bit more stable than before, but Shiro continues to hold onto his arm to help him. He’s impossibly warm against him, but he was Galra, after all, “Food sounds good.”

“Alright,” Allura nods as she walks up to their group, the screen now off, “I’ll come with you to dine. I won’t be opening the wormhole until about a varga so that should leave us plenty of time to eat and talk.”

They all wander their way down to the kitchen where Hunk pulls out a few pots and pans. Keith watches with large eyes as he mashes ingredients together, ears moving around at every noise. Every once in a while, he flinches at a sound or two, as if waiting for a hit. It makes something curl in Shiro’s gut, knowing that feeling so well. 

“So, I think I can make some type of spaghetti,” Hunk grins before stirring some noodles, “I haven’t been able to make Earth food yet but-”

“Earth?” Keith’s ears perk, going straight up as he blinks at the Yellow Paladin. Shiro leans closer, wondering why Keith seems so enthralled by the thought of information, “What’s Earth like?”

They all glance at each other, the sizzle of the food cooking being the only thing that makes a sound. The Alteans look just as curious as the Galra with them, and it hits Shiro that they never really have had time to tell the Alteans of their home planet...nor have the Alteans been able to tell them of Altea.

"It's beautiful," Lance starts with a happy sigh, resting his head on his hand with a dreamy look, "The whole planet is blue and green with swirls of white clouds. And the atmosphere is so different depending on where you go. The school we come from is in the desert with lots of orange rocks. I lived on the beach before that in Cuba. There was nothing better than the waves and the sand, guys."

"The food was the best!" Hunk goes on, smiling sheepishly at the scowl Coran has, "There's been good dishes up here too, Coran, but nothing quite matches that zang of home food, you know? I'm telling you. Casseroles, burgers, pizza, all the good stuff. Desserts, you guys, so many great desserts! Brownies, cookies, cobblers, chocolate...oh man! I gotta invent chocolate out here."

"That's enough, Hunk," Shiro chuckles fondly as he pulls the other from his enthusiastic talking, "I think Keith is a bit confused."

The Galra blinks, one ear up and the other to the side. He tilts his head in confusion, elating an 'awww, he's so cute!' from Hunk.

"Earth has some technology. But honestly, nothing as advanced as the stuff I've seen in space. And no, Coran. Don't even start with something about our primitive nature," the oldest Altean sits there with his mouth open as though to say something. Pidge glares before looking back at Keith who glances between them, "Anyway...we've come a long way from what we were centuries ago. We know more about the world now than ever! Although...we don't know about aliens so...that's a bit of a problem…"

"As Lance," Shiro points to the Blue Paladin, "Has said, we came from a school called the Galaxy Garrison. I was a senior officer there, while the other three were cadets. We studied about space travel. I...don't really know what else to say besides I miss riding hoverbikes, even now."

Keith's ears had started to relax back into a more neutral position when they sprang up at him talking about the hoverbikes.

"I miss them too," he lets out before blinking, "We have some at the headquarters...or we did when I was there last."

"How do you have hoverbikes?" Pidges asks with a glow in her eyes, "I haven't seen anything remotely like a hoverbike since we've come to space."

"My mom always insisted on making some," Keith answers honestly before his tail wiggles around a bit. He pauses before frowning. Before long, the tail stops moving and he goes on, "Said she wanted to honor my father's traditions."

"Racing?"

"No," Keith shrugs, "Just driving around. Pops always loved riding out into the desert and watching the night sky. Something about the Milky Way? Maybe?"

It shocks them all, the humans.

"Keith," Shiro says softly, "The Milky Way is what our galaxy is called."

"Yeah?" Keith blinks at them before both ears twist to the sides, "I know. You're humans. Mom told me before. My dad was human too."

Silence rings around the room. Shiro swears that even the food stopped cooking at that moment. They all just stare at Keith as if he's grown another head. The other glances back innocently before his ears press to his head, a deeply wary look crossing his face.

"It's where she got the plans from in order to make the hoverbikes," Keith's ears press even harder into his black hair, his anxiety rising more and more, "She didn't steal them. She was on a mission when she crash landed on Earth where my dad found her and took her in. They had me and when we left...we came back home where she raised me with the other Blades."

They all stay silent, too shocked to move. Keith's Galra and human? It certainly explains his looks, now that his skin is a bit more peachy. It explains the eyes and his size in general. 

The silence must make Keith extremely nervous because he squirms before forcing himself to stop it. Shiro sees purple claws rub at fingers on his left hand.

"She's the only Galra who stayed on Earth," he hurries on with a frightened look, "There were no others, none that survived anyway. Your planet should be safe. She…"

The younger begins to breathe weirdly, too fast and shallow. He glances around quickly before starting to scoot out of the chair. Unfortunately, he doesn't get far as it snags on something, holding him in place. He's practically trapped though there is space there to escape. Small agitated sounds start to leave him as he pushes on.

"She went to Ear...Earth to protect the Blue Lion," Keith rushes on, clearly panicking. It makes something in Shiro break, "She's not working for the Empire. I'm not working for the Empire. I promise I'm not working for them. I'm good. I'm good. You have to believe me!"

And then he's resting his head against the table, arms over his hair in a protective X and ears flat against the white metal. Shiro feels like he's thrown into ice cold water only to be shattered to tiny pieces. 

Keith expects to be punished. He expects to be hurt for what he's saying. 

Shiro dives forward, putting his hands on the other's arms. Gently pushing them away - he hates how Keith lets them move as if thinking he has no hope but to give in - he takes a hold of Keith's chin. Carefully, he raises the younger's head before holding onto his cheeks.

"Keith, breathe," he says softly, dragging out each breath of his own, "Breathe with me. No one here is going to hurt you. None of us are mad at you. Breathe."

Keith doesn't listen for a moment, pale and shaking. But he finally comes back, breath evening out some before his ears rest straight down against his collarbone.

"Sorry."

"It's okay," Shiro smiles back before he sighs tiredly, "I know what it's like."

Keith looks him over, eyes sweeping from his face to the mechanical arm. Shiro feels as though Keith is undressing him with his mind, seeing all the scars littered into his flesh. He doesn't mind it so much right now, especially since Keith had been in a similar situation. Slowly, the Galra-human (human...he's half human, wow) touches the limb with sharp fingers, holding on carefully. One ear flicks to the side as he tilts his head. After a second, he hisses as both ears twist, nose scrunching. Pained but empathetic eyes meet his own as the younger scowls softly.

"Does it hurt?" He asks quietly, ears shifting forward as he carefully brushes his fingers against the seam where metal meets skin and bone, "They did the same thing to my tail, and it still hurts sometimes."

"Yeah," Shiro nods after a moment, fist clenching before he releases it and relaxes a bit, "Does yours still feel like it's there sometimes? Like you can still use it but you know you can't?"

Keith nods before his ear flicks.

"You guys have phantom limb pain," Pidge speaks up from the side. Shiro glances over to see the whole team quietly watching them. When they notice his eyes on them, they smile sadly, "We should have asked before. I...I just never really thought about it. We can do things to fix that. We can massage the spot or something."

"Oh, yes!" Coran nods before lighting up like a light bulb, "We have some muscle relaxants that certainly can help! They'll get rid of tension as if it never was there! I'll grab some on our way to the hangar!"

"Thanks, Coran," Shiro grins at the oldest of the team. Keith sends him a small smile too, ears fluttering rapidly for a quick moment before settling. Coran practically blushes with a joyful laugh, his whole face turning pink thanks to the chameleon Altean powers.

"Is Coran...blushing?" Lance asks quietly from the side, eyes wide, "Oh quiznak. I've never seen him blush. Have you?"

“I have seen him blush only a handful of times,” Allura speaks with a hushed whisper, “And certainly not with strangers like this, with a full face flush.”

"I am blushing," the other grins happily, "To have anyone's ears fluttering in such a way is a rather good surprise, especially for such a young Galra. It often means they are quite happy. Even our young Alteans do it, though not as freely as Number Four here."

"Number Four?" Keith wheezes with brows down, "What?"

"I have the paladins ranked by number by height," Coran answers before going on to introduce everyone (because they forgot to do so earlier), "Pidge is Number Five now, Lance is Number Three, Hunk is Number Two, Shiro is Number One. We’re Alteans. I’m Coran the mechanic, and this is Princess Allura."

"But...why am I numbered?" Keith asks softly with a confused tone, "I'm not part of your team."

“Oh, I’ve grown quite fond of you, my boy,” Coran grins before his expression settles into something soft, “Nothing bad, I promise.”

“Okay?” Keith asks again with both ears flicking back with deep uncertainty, “It’s just…”

“Strange for a new person to randomly decide they like you?” Hunk wonders softly, smiling at Keith, “Yeah, we’ve all been there before, man. Trust me, Coran can be a lot, but he’s a good guy. I don’t think he took us in this fast when we first arrived. You’re good.”

“Hunk’s right,” Shiro nods as he rests his hand to the other’s shoulder, ignoring the slight tensing of his body, “You’re safe with all of us, especially Coran. The guy’s basically our uncle as it is, I think.”

“And you better not forget it!” Coran nods with a determined smile, “Next time I usher you and Number Five off to bed, you best be going to bed! Our paladins need their sleep, you know.”

Pidge’s eye twitches as Shiro smiles sheepishly, rubbing his undercut. Before they can protest, a small noise echoes around them. It’s like a mix between a purr and a throaty chuckle. Shiro glances over at Keith who is snickering quietly, a tiny grin on his lips. Both ears sit relaxed on his head, upright but loose. He can see the other’s tail flopping around a bit once in a while as he listens to them.

It’s a nice sight.

“Now! That’s a good sound if I’ve ever heard any!” Coran smiles widely, “Purrs mean a lot within the Galra culture! I don’t know if things have changed over the past 10,000 decaphoebes, but when we were friends with the Galra, they meant plenty! Sometimes they mean they are happy, other times they are produced to make others happy, sometimes it's a comfort thing, and sometimes it’s a sign of arousal.”

“What!” Lance shouts before covering his face, “I do not want to see that, Coran!”

“Well, I would say that we’re safe,” Coran laughs as Keith’s purr gets louder, a smirk on his lips, “Considering he looks nowhere ready to tackle anyone in the roo-”

“Stop, stop, stop!” Lance screams as he grabs Hunk’s hands, covering his ears with the guy’s bigger ones before going back to covering his own eyes, “Coran! I don't want to know!"

"It's natural," the older rubs his mustache, "You humans are strangely sensitive about sex and the body parts."

"Yeah," Shiro smiles sheepishly, "Most humans are shy about that stuff, even today. It really depends on what culture you are from."

"Not us," Keith stares at them before shrugging, purr gone for the moment, "We know all about sex. We're taught about it when we're young, so we know what's happening with our bodies. I especially had to know, being intersex. We exercise safe sex and reproduction and how to make it feel good."

He pauses before his thumb drags against his fingers. Shiro's beginning to think it's a sign of his turmoil within. He's proven correct seconds later when a tiny whimper leaves the younger, ears flat down.

"I don't know what they did to me," he growls slightly before a whine leaves him, "I was awake for it though. It hurt. A lot. I just...I can't…"

The younger grabs his hair again, wrapping his arms around his head. Shiro frowns as he hears the younger apologizing repeatedly under his breath. All of the others are worried too, and Hunk reaches out to gently grab Keith's arm. 

This startles Keith more as he jerks away. The chair moves this time, hovering out as the younger falls off it with a tiny yelp, eyes wide. He's suddenly breathing too quickly again as he stumbles up again, moving backwards before his eyes move over them, zoning onto the exit.

His eyes turn to pin pricks before Keith flies out of the room. They all shout in surprise, racing after the other who runs in a blur down the long halls. For a moment, Shiro has no idea where he's trying to go. He worries the Galra-human hybrid may be heading for an airlock to get away. But fortunately, Keith turns at the last second, heading to a very familiar place.

The hangar.

More specifically, the Red Lion's hangar. 

They all burst into the room just as the lion stands up, letting out a small purr. Her eyes flash golden before she rushes toward Keith, resting her nose against his head briefly before opening her jaws. Keith hurries into the machine just as Red roars loudly, standing proudly with all legs out and chest puffed up.

Shiro feels Black stir, letting out a pleased hum from within his brain, in agreement and joy with her sister's choice. If there ever was a time that Shiro doubted the lions' sentience, he knows now that they are very much their own beings. 

"The Red Lion has finally chosen her paladin!" Allura grins widely, not even looking sad that she would no longer fly her father's lion, "While I was glad to fly her, we both agreed that she is not the one for me...after I acted like a child, of course."

And then an alarm goes off. They all tense, expecting Zarkon to be at their doorstep, when a screen pops up showing Krolia and Kolivan.

"Paladins, Coran, Princess," they greet each of them, "We are near the location of the wormhole. Is everything okay?"

"Yes, everything is good on our end," Allura nods before her face turns happy, "More than good. It seems Keith has been accepted to be our Red Paladin. I will wormhole you over, and we must talk about this over dinner. I'll open it in five doboshes."

And then she rushes out of the room, a skip in her step. Shiro watches her go, glad that she's figured out which Galra she should hate and which she should support. She's come a long way, and he's proud of her.

“Well…” Hunk trails off before rubbing his head, “I’m going to head to the kitchen to make that food for everyone.”

“We’re coming along!” Lance grins before grabbing Pidge by her shoulders, starting for the door, “I call being Hunk’s food taster!”

“What are you talking about?” Pidge grumbles, not bothering to pull away, “You’re always the food taster.”

“Hey, a guy’s gotta claim his stake around here,” the other laughs as Hunk rolls his eyes playfully, a smile on his lips. The three youngest soon leave.

“I’ll be waiting in the main hanger for Kolivan and Krolia to appear!” Coran grins back, “Take care of our boy, Number One!”

“I will,” Shiro chuckles fondly as the older nods happily, “Thank you, Coran. You guys have come a long way. I’m proud.”

“Thank you, my boy,” the Altean’s smile softens, “It’s difficult for the princess. She hasn’t known many Galra, and it impacted her view. I, however, have had lots of acquaintances and friends with those of Galra heritage! Altea and Diabaazal were always near before the war! I’m not quite as young as I look!”

“You look just fine, Coran,” Shiro compliments sincerely before waving at him, “I’m going to talk to Keith. See you soon.”

The other hurries from the room, peppy as ever. Shiro shakes his head, a grin on his lips as he turns back to Red. Slowly, he walks up to the lion who gently lowers her head. Keith doesn’t emerge, so he goes up the ramp himself, arriving into the cockpit just as Keith touches a button on the lion’s dashboard.

“You okay?” Shiro asks softly as one ear flicks back towards him. The younger stares at him for a long moment, turning his head more. Galaxy eyes watch him without a single noise. Shiro’s beginning to worry that the shocks caused more than just surface scars.

"It's just…" Keith pauses, gripping the yokes tightly before a small purr comes from within the lion, calming him a bit. He looks over at Shiro with wide teary eyes and ears twisting backwards, "This is real? It's not...I'm not dreaming?"

"It's real," Shiro nods before coming up to his side, placing his hand on Keith's shoulder. A small sound of surprise comes from the younger who settles down soon after, "It's very real, I promise. Your lion will help you with that. Whenever I feel like I'm going to wake back in my cell or the arena, Black comforts me and reminds me that I'm free, that I'm a paladin now. I'm sure Red will help you."

The lion rumbles as if in agreement. Keith's ears come back up before flicking slightly as he frowns.

"But…" His scowl deepens as he hunches up slightly, "I'm not a paladin. I'm not a Blade anymore. I...I don't know what I am anymore. I thought I knew but that was before I got captured. Isn't...isn't it bad if I'm a paladin? Red's one of the most powerful beings out here, and a half-breed shouldn't be piloting her. _I_ shouldn't be piloting her."

Shiro's heart aches. The younger really seems to believe what he's saying. It makes sense, especially since it's been conditioned into Keith that all Galra are bad, even the hybrids. That hybrids don't deserve happiness or pleasure unless they're "good." Shiro has no idea what they deemed "good" as, but if it's anything like in the arena, he doesn't think it's what good should be. He gently squeezes Keith's shoulder.

"Don't say that," Shiro's tone must come off as too sharp, for the younger flinches, ears shifting to his head, completely sealed there. Shiro sighs softly before getting an idea, "Hey, Red, can you help me out here?"

The lion rumbles softly before another seat appears beside Keith's, barely an inch away. Shiro steps out of the way, soon moving to sit down. Keith watches him with an unreadable expression. Shiro grins, on Keith’s level now.

"Thanks," Shiro smiles softly at the lion before turning to Keith, "You're saying that because someone else has. Some people have issues with the Galra, but not everyone. Trust me, I should have plenty of reasons to hate you, but I don't."

Keith's ears spring up in shock, eyes widening again.

"I was captured and stuck in the arena," Shiro winces, despising having to think of it, of having to talk about it. But he needs to build a bond with Keith, show him that he's being truthful when he says it, "The Galra did things to me that I don't like. Some of it I can't even remember. Some of it was painful. They made me fight for my life, they experimented on me, took my crew and arm away...but a Galra freed me. Ulaz freed me."

Keith's ears jerk up as he gasps quietly. 

"Ulaz?" He asks before he lets out a tiny whine, "Ulaz saved you?"

"Yes, that's why I know not every Galra is bad, especially not you," Shiro smiles gently at Keith, "Keith, you are a great fit for the Red Lion. Allura told us that the Red Lion is temperamental and fast, that she's loyal at all costs and her pilot must be someone who relies on instincts and skills."

"But…" Keith frowns, "My instincts are what got me caught. You don’t even know if I have any skill."

"No," Shiro frowns before laughing quietly, "No. Your instincts led you to your lion, it didn't get you caught. If I know anything, there were too many sentries there. Sendak's ship is usually heavily armed. I know you have skills, but you have to believe in it. You can’t give up on yourself so soon."

A moment of silence echoes around them. 

"You called her a being, not a machine or a weapon. That's a deep sign of respect right there that most people fail at, unless they're bonded with their lion well," he stares at his mechanical arm, hearing Black's rumble, his voice darkening, "Even some paladins think otherwise."

"Zarkon?" Keith asks softly, rubbing Red's yoke, "We were all taught who the previous pilots were. My mom and Kolivan taught me and Regris about Voltron. We used to talk about it, what we would do if we could pilot one of the lions. I chose Red all the time. Regris was always switching his lion, sometimes saying it was Green because he's training in intelligence information and extraction, other times saying it was Yellow because it's a leg, why not."

The younger laughs fondly with a bubbling purr on his tongue. Shiro watches, smiling himself. This Regris seems to be a close friend.

"We were the only kits growing up on the main base, the only hybrids there besides Antok who's way older," Keith grins softly, relaxing, "We got into a lot of trouble together. Once dyed everyone's hair orange, and Kolivan was not happy. Mom just grinned at us, laughing proudly."

A few seconds of heavy silence sits over them.

"I miss them," Keith's ears move down, his eyes going downwards with them, looking sad, "I wasn't even supposed to be out there on the ship. I wasn't a full-time Blade yet, haven't even woken my blade yet. I just...I felt this intense energy and I couldn't stop. I ended up on that ship, in front of Red who had her shield up. I got caught after a bit, taken to a new ship which got attacked."

He pauses, ears shifting around before he whimpers.

"I don't even know if they're alive anymore," he frowns, knees coming up to his chin, arms tucking around his ankles, "Regris is a bit older than me, and he had started missions when I left. Antok is usually at our base, but I didn't see him in the video call. Thace has been in the Empire even before I disappeared, and Ulaz...is he okay?"

"Yeah, he's fine," Shiro nods reassuringly, "He risked his life to save us, but he survived. We got him back to his home, and that's where we met Kolivan and your mother. We’re allies now, and I’m sure they’re here now.”

"What if...what if they're mad?" Keith wheezes softly, eyes drowning in tears as he shakes a bit. His ears tuck near his skull, broadcasting his fear, "What if they don't want to actually see me? What if Kolivan kicks me out of the Blade? What if-"

"Hey," Shiro frowns, taking his hands, holding the shaking limbs in his own, heart aching so fiercely, "Hey. None of that. They won't be angry, Keith. They miss you just as much. They're family, and I know I haven't seen the informal side of them, but I bet they are kind people. And if they do, by some unreasonable reason, kick you out, you have a home here."

"Because I'm Red's pilot?"

"Partially," Shiro says honestly, "But we also like you, not just because you are half-human. I know I'm speaking for the team when I say that we want you here with us."

The younger stares in shock, eyes widening in surprise. His mouth drops open, likely to protest, before he gives up. His ears both twitch before he comes out of it, a low chuckle on his breath.

"You guys want me here?" He asks incredulously before blinking, "Really?"

"Yeah," Shiro grins, holding out his hand, ready for the other to grab it, "We're not so different, you know? I want to get to know you. I want to become your friend, maybe find out your favorite color or things you enjoy, stuff like that…"

"Me too," the younger smiles fondly before gripping his mechanical hand, no fear at all in his galaxy eyes, "Thanks."

"No problem," he smirks back before leading him from Red who rumbles peacefully in the background, "But we should really be getting back to the others."

They walk for a long moment, just entering the hall when Keith speaks up.

"Red."

"What?" He asks with confused brows.

"My favorite color," Keith's ears press back in embarrassment this time, a tiny grin on the corner of his lips, "Red's my favorite color."

"Oh," Shiro blinks before laughing, "Oh! Red's a great color on you. You look amazing in red."

And then he blushes, glancing away before coughing. The other gazes at him in confusion but doesn't question it as they move on.

In the end, they see a lot of Keith. Shiro watches quite happily as the family unites. Keith is quickly wrapped into a warm, tight hug by Krolia who presses all kinds of kisses and hugs to the younger who soaks it in, voice cracking from his tears. Kolivan shows more emotion than ever, setting his giant hand on Keith's tiny shoulder before giving a small smile to the other.

Before any of them can move, a tall blur skids by them, crashing into the half-Galra who nearly topples backwards. A tail catches him before the other's mask dissolves. 

"You're the stupidest, most annoying, most irritating Galra ever," the guy growls before sighing, "But I'm glad you're alive."

"Regris!" Keith shouts back before hugging the other, his tail making some weird movement before he seems to realize that it's no longer whole, "Shit. Sorry, no tailshake anymore."

"We'll make you one," Regris grins at him, "I'm sure your mom can get a team together."

"And we can help," Pidge adds in, getting looks of surprise from the group of Galra. She smiles back, "I'm good with technology, and Hunk is our engineer. Coran knows all about how to blend the human and Galra body, and Allura can help with quintessence if we need it. Plus, we can always go to the Olkari. They're miles ahead of everyone else, except maybe this castle! We'll make a prosthesis in no time."

"I...you would really do that for him?" Krolia asks with a soft smile, "I guess Keith's father wasn't the only king human out here. Thank you."

"No, it's our pleasure," Shiro reassures her, holding out his hand for a traditional Galra handshake at the elbow. Krolia goes for it and they let go soon. Shiro's hand inadvertently makes its way to Keith's shoulder, to provide comfort.

"I think we should discuss some things over supper!" Coran grins before excitedly leading the way, pointing out everything on the way there. Shiro snickers before helping Keith to the room, behind the others.

"You going to be okay?"

"I think so," the other nods, "It's going to take a while but...I think so."

"We got each other," Shiro nods back, "If you ever need to talk or just spar? Come to me?"

"Yeah," he says breathlessly, eyes bright as ever, "Okay. You too."

"Okay."


End file.
